Jadovnik, October 11, 2024 – With the support of the Swiss Government, on the mountain Jadovnik, at the Kašan locality, the Citizen Association “Jadovnik – Oasis of Untouched Nature” has established an emergency Centre for the care and rehabilitation of injured birds of prey. The Association will closely collaborate with PUC "Srbijašume" for the emergency care of birds of prey from protected areas: “Ozren-Jadovnik,” “Mileševka River Gorge,” and “Kamena Gora,” with advice from ornithologists of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia and veterinarians.

"Switzerland has positive experiences in the conservation of birds of prey, as evidenced by the successful reintroduction of the bearded vulture to the Alpine regions, after its near-extinction in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the coordinated efforts of Switzerland and international nature conservation organizations. We are glad to support similar initiatives in Serbia", said Richard Kohli, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Serbia.

In addition to providing care and rehabilitation for birds, this Centre significantly contributes to the conservation of birds of prey by enabling the collection of data on the condition of local bird populations, causes of injuries, and the status of rehabilitated birds after release into the wild. It will also facilitate the training and skill development of future experts in the protection and conservation of birds of prey.

“This centre is very important for protecting the birds of prey and providing emergency care and treatment, but also contributes to improved research and raising public awareness of conservation efforts. We need more of these initiatives, especially because environmental crime is raising and threatening wildlife“, said Antoine Avignon, Chapter 27 Desk Officer and Programme Manager for Environment and Climate Action at the European Union Delegation to Serbia.

"The idea for facilities, specifically aviaries for the rehabilitation of injured and exhausted birds of prey, arose primarily due to the growing colony of Griffon Vultures whose pairs nest in the Mileševka River Gorge, as well as due to frequent calls from citizens when they find injured and exhausted birds of prey in the southwestern Serbia area", said Vjekoslav Joksimović from the Citizen Association “Jadovnik.”

Birds of prey, including vultures, play a crucial role in ecosystems by maintaining ecological balance. They are at the top of the food chain and regulate populations of many species, primarily small mammals such as rodents. Additionally, they have cultural significance and are an important attraction for ecotourism.

In Serbia, all birds of prey are legally protected, including 34 species of raptors and vultures, and 10 species of owls. Unfortunately, many species are endangered due to illegal activities such as poisoning and poaching. For example, the Bearded Vulture became extinct in Serbia in the 1960s due to reckless organized poisoning of wolves, in retaliation to their attacks on livestock. In the meantime, the use of poisoned baits has been prohibited by law, but this practice still threatens a large number of birds of prey.

The project "Aviaries for emergency care of protected species of birds in South-Western Serbia" has been implemented by the Citizen Association "Jadovnik – Oasis of Untouched Nature", with financial support of the Government of Switzerland within the initiative "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia“. This initiative is implemented with technical and financial support from the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection by UNDP in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank, with additional funding from the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.